Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 13 · Section 7
Of Truth, and of a Lie: which place is treated of In Iudges 3. and alſo In 1. Sam. 21, verſe 12.
Of truth.28 Now let vsus treat of another queſtion; namelie, whether it be lawfull for a good and godlie man to lie. But before I ſpeake of a lie, I thinke beſt to ſpeake ſomewhat of truth; which doubtleſſe is an excellent vertue. What is truth. Cicero.Truth (as ſaith Tullie in his booke De inuentione) is that, whereby things which are, hauehave béene, and ſhall be, are ſpoken without alteration. Wherein we will firſt note, that it conſiſteth in words: for he ſaith, that they are ſpoken. Not that I am ignorant, but that dumbe men, and others, doo ſometimes ſpeake by ſignes. Auguſtine.But bicauſe (as ſaith Auguſtine in his firſt booke De doctrina christiana) among other ſignes, words are the principall and moſt plaine. Further, we be taught hereby, that truth is not onelie to be conſidered as touching one difference of time; but as touching thrée differences. For he ſaith, that both thoſe things which are, which hauehave béene, and which ſhall be. Theſe things be then ſpoken trulie, when they be ſet foorth without alteration; that is, euen as they are, and by ſpeaking made neither more ample, nor leſſe than they be. The verie ſelfe-ſame thing in a maner hath Auguſtine ſaid, in his booke De vera religione, Auguſtine.the 36. chapter, where he writeth; that Truth is, whereby that which is, is ſignified. And it is a vertue; Truth is a vertue.bicauſe by it men are made prone and readie to ſpeake that, which is true.
If thou demand what is the generall word of truth; It is equalitie: wherevnto is ioined, The generall word of truth.for difference ſake; namelie, of words, about the things which are ſignified. And as it is well knowne to all men, all vertues doo aime at the meane, and eſchew extremities. Wherefore, Two faults in ſpeeches.in the kind of ſpeaking, thou ſhalt perceiue two faults; namelie, if thou ſpeake more than the thing will permit, or leſſe than the thing is. Neither is vertue content onelie with the meane: for we muſt adde circumſtances, which vſe commonlie to followe it. So as the truth muſt not alwaies be ſpoken to euerie man, neither at all times, nor yet of euerie thing: and yet we muſt not lie. But it is wiſedome ſometime to kéepe ſecret thoſe things, which for iuſt cauſe we will not hauehave known. He, which ſhould vaunt abroad euerie-where, and to all men, the gifts of God giuen vntounto him; ſhould be counted fooliſh and fond. As contrariewiſe, he which ſhould boaſt of a crime, whereinto by mans infirmitie he hath fallen, ought iuſtlie and woorthilie to be reprooued. Wherefore, truth requireth, What thing truth requireth.that what we hauehave within vsus, as touching our ſenſe and will, that ſhould prudentlie be ſignified by vsus as it is. Further, the vertue, whereof we ſpeake, hath ſimplicitie moſt of all ioined with it: and it is verie contrarie vntounto doubleneſſe.
Beſides this, it is a part of iuſtice: for both vntounto things it giueth the proper words; and vntounto a neighbour the truth which is due vntounto him: without the which, mans fellowſhip cannot ſtand. For, if a man ſhould continuallie ſuſpect himſelfe to be deceiued by anie man, he would neuer giuegive anie credit vntounto him: by meanes whereof, all trades and ſocieties among men would decaie. Ariſtotle, in his Ethiks, Ariſtotle.affirmeth; that Truth declineth ſomewhat toward the defect; eſpeciallie when anie man ſpeaketh of himſelfe. For this wiſedome requireth, that a man boaſt not of himſelfe. Wherevpon Paule, in his ſecond epiſtle to the Corinthians and twelfe chapter, wrote; If I will boaſt of my ſelfe, 2. Cor. 12, 6.I ſhall not be vnwiſe, but I will forbeare, leſt anie man ſhould thinke of me more than that he ſeeth in me, or that he heareth of me. By theſe words he reprooueth them as fooliſh and vnwiſe, which doo boaſt and glorie, euen of thoſe good things, which they hauehave: and he ſaith, that he will abſteine from it. Neither (ſaith he) doo I require, that anie man ſhould thinke more of me, than either he ſéeth in me, He that ſpeaketh leſſe of himſelfe than he hath, lieth not.or heareth of me. And he, which ſpeaketh leſſe of himſelfe, than he is, is not ſtraitwaie to be accuſed as a lier. For that, which is the more, comprehendeth and conteineth in it the leſſe. For whoſoeuer hath fiftie, he may truelie ſaie that he hath twentie; although he ſpeaketh not of all that he hath. Howbeit, if the ſame man ſhould affirme, that he hath but twentie onelie; or elſe ſhould denie that he hath anie at all, We muſt not lie for humilitie ſake.out of doubt he ſhould lie: the which muſt not be committed, either for modeſtie ſake, or (as they ſaie) for humilitie.
29 Concerning teſtimonies out of the holie ſcriptures, which doo ſtir vsus vp to ſpeake the truth; doubtleſſe verie manie might be alledged: but a few ſhall ſuffice. In the ten commandements, Exo. 20, 16.it is written; Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe. Which commandement muſt be obſerued, not onelie in iudgement, but in all things, which in our talke we teſtifie, to be either true or falſe. Moreouer, God is ſet before our eies to be followed; Rom. 3, 4.whom the ſcriptures in euerie place pronounce to be true. Wherefore we alſo ought to be moſt feruent louers of the truth. verſe. 21.And for that cauſe Iethro, in the 18. chapter of Exodus, counſelled Moſes to ſet ſuch men to be rulers ouer the people, as did feare God, men of courage, louers of the truth, and thoſe, which hated couetouſneſſe. Pſal. 51, 8.Alſo Dauid ſaith; Behold, thou haſt loued truth, and therefore thou haſt made me to vnderſtand wiſdome in the inward and ſecret parts of my mind. Theſe things ſufficientlie declare, that we are taught of God both by inward inſpiration, and alſo by outward doctrine; bicauſe he is a louer of the truth: neither dooth he ſuffer, that his children ſhould either erre, or be deceiued by lies. In Zacharie, the eight chapter, verſe. 16.it is written; Speake ye the truth euerie man to his neighbour. Which ſelfe-ſame ſentence Paule vſeth to the Epheſians: Epheſ. 4, 25. Col. 3, 9.and he commandeth the ſame to the Coloſſians. But in the latter epiſtle to the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 3, 8.he ſaith of himſelfe, and of the other apoſtles, that they can hauehave nothing againſt the truth. Yea and the Scribes and Phariſies, being ioined with the Herodians, on this wiſe flattered Chriſt (whom they went about to intrap in his ſpéech;) Maiſter, Matt. 22, 16.we knowe that thou accepteſt no perſons, yea thou teacheſt the waie of God in truth. Hereby they declared, that it is a ſingular vertue for a noble and notable man, to prefer the truth before all things. But let theſe teſtimonies of the holie ſcriptures be ſufficient at this time.
30 It remaineth, Of a lie.that I now come to treat of a lie. Auguſtine, Auguſtine.who wrote thereof to Conſentius, affirmeth; that A lie is the falſe ſignification of the ſpéech. And vndoubtedlie, of this vice may all thoſe things be ſpoken by a contrarie poſition, which are before declared of truth. And firſt, contrarie to that, which Tullie affirmed of truth; that that is true, whereby things which are, which hauehave béene, and which ſhall be, are ſaid to be vnaltered. And a lie is that, whereby is ſignified that, which is not: for Auguſtine defined truth by the contrarie. This vice is ſo hurtfull, that it maketh a man, which is infected therewith, to reioiſe, and be glad in falſehood. The generall word of truth, is equalitie; Inequalitie the generall word of a lie.and the generall of this vice, inequalitie. And as truth is verie néere ioined with ſimplicitie, ſo a lie belongeth to doubleneſſe. Truth is a part of iuſtice, but a lie is a part of iniuſtice. By truth, the ſocietie of man is preſerued; but by lieng, it is hurt and ouerthrowne. But returne we to Auguſtine, who writeth; that He is ſaid to lie, which with a will to deceiue ſpeaketh that, which is falſe: & that, To lie, is nothing elſe, but to go againſt the mind; for liers ſpeake another thing than they hauehave in their mind. But the deſire to deceiue is vtterlie againſt iuſtice, louelove, and amitie; which we mutuallie owe one towards another. So then there be thrée things in a lie; firſt, Three things incident to a lie.to ſpeake that which is falſe; ſecondlie, his will in ſpeaking; and thirdlie, a deſire to deceiue. The firſt part belongeth to the matter of a lie; the other two parts perteine vntounto the forme.
31 A lie is diſtinguiſhed into an officious lie, a ſporting lie, and a pernicious lie. The diſtinction of a lie.And this diuiſion commeth of no other thing, but of the effects, or of the ends. For this is euermore true, that the ends themſelues may hauehave the nature both of the cauſe, and of the effect: ſéeing lies doo either profit, or delite, or elſe hurt. The end of a pernicious lie, is to hurt; the end of a ſporting lie, is to delite; and the end of an officious lie, is to profit. But, forſomuch as in vertue, Ariſtotle.Ariſtotle hath reſpect chéeflie vntounto the meane, if then in ſpeaking thou excéed that meane, Looke In 2. Sam. 16, verſe 33.he calleth it boaſting: but if thou come ſhort, he nameth it diſſimulation or mocking. And in this euill, that moſt of all hurteth; bicauſe an euill or falſe opinion is ingendred in the mind of our neighbor. For which cauſe it ſéemeth, that the ſame Ariſtotle ſaid well; that Lieng is a wicked thing, A lie is wicked and muſt be ſhunned.and muſt be auoided. Which we may prooue by teſtimonies of the holie ſcriptures. For herevnto belong all thoſe things, which we rehearſed before, for prouoking of vsus to ſpeake the truth. And there be manie other places diſperſed here and there, which deteſt lieng. Dauid ſaith; Pſal. 5, 6.Thou ſhalt deſtroie all thoſe which ſpeake lies. Pſal. 5, 6.There be reaſons alſo, which perſuade the ſame: whereof one is, In a lie is an abuſe of ſignes.that in a lie there is an abuſe of ſignes. And for ſo much as it is not lawfull to abuſe the gifts of GOD: a lie alſo is vnderſtood to be forbidden.
Moreouer, as it is before ſaid; a lie is enimie vntounto the ſocietie of man. For in lieng, the vnderſtanding of the mind is not communicated vntounto our brethren; but lies. Wherefore, ſéeing by nature man is made vntounto ſocietie and communication, when he ſpeaketh that which is falſe, he ſtriueth againſt his owne nature. And (as Auguſtine ſaith; Auguſtine.) Faith héerein is harmed, bicauſe he which heareth, beléeueth thoſe things which are ſpoken. Wherefore, that faith, which he giueth vntounto others words, is made void: and ſo notable a thing cannot be hurt without blame. And to conclude, euerie man by lieng looſeth his owne credit; for being taken in a lie, he ſhall be euer after ſuſpected of it. Wherefore, though he would, he ſhall not be able, by admonition or correction, to helpe his neighbour. So the fault that is in a lie, not onelie reſpecteth the loſſe or hurt of our neighbour, but it is in it of his owne kind: as manifeſtlie appéereth by that, which we hauehave alreadie ſaid. What kind of lie is moſt greeuous.But among lies, that ſéemeth to be moſt heinous, which is in matter of religion, doctrine, and godlineſſe: for in no other thing can guile be more hurtfull and pernicious. For if we ſhall erre therein, we be caſt from euerlaſting felicitie. Wherefore Auguſtine, in his Enchiridion, the 18. chapter, hath verie well written; that They indéed ſinne gréeuouſlie, which deceiue trauelling men, in ſhewing them a contrarie waie. But they be much more deteſtable, which in lieng about matters of religion, doo bring men into error.
32 If the thrée kinds of lies ſhould be compared togither, I meane the pernicious lie, the ſporting lie, and the officious lie; the pernicious lie ſhould iuſtlie be counted the more deteſtable. Bicauſe in it are two euils: one is, the abuſe of ſignes; In a pernicious lie are two euils.an other is, the hurt of our neighbour, and that both of the mind that is deceiued (which is common to all lies,) and alſo of the thing which is loſt. But as for other lies, although they be not without fault; yet is the ſame fault much diminiſhed by the benefit either of delight, or of ſupplie of the helpe. A ſporting lie.And indéed, a ſporting lie hath in it but a ſmall and ſlender nature of a lie: for ſo much as the falſhood is ſtraitwaie found out, neither can it be long hidden from the hearers. Auguſtine.Yea Auguſtine writeth, that ſuch lies are not to be counted for lies. But as touching an officious lie, Whether a ſ…ſſable lie be ſinne.the iudgement thereof is more hard and obſcure; ſéeing ſome denie it to be ſinne: for they ſaie it hath a reſpect vntounto helping of our neighbour, whom we ought in woords and déeds to reléeue as much as we can. So as they thinke that therein is no abuſe of the ſignes: forſomuch as all our dooings ought to hauehave reſpect to the commoditie of our brethren. Neither doo they thinke, that therin is offenſe committed againſt mans ſocietie: bicauſe through this kind of lie, men are made ſafe, and kept harmeleſſe.
Further, they ſaie, that whereas it is written in the holie ſcriptures; Pſal. 5, 6.that God will deſtroie all thoſe that ſpeake lies: the ſame is not to be vnderſtood of euerie kind of lie; but of a pernicious lie onelie. Which Auguſtine alſo, in his Enchiridion, the 18. chapter, ſéemeth to grant. They alledge alſo the opinion of Plato, Plato.in his booke De Repub. who, as he did fraie the common people from lies; yet he gaue magiſtrates libertie to lie: eſpeciallie in making of lawes. But in my iudgement, the thing is farre otherwiſe. Neither can I eaſilie grant, that an officious lie is without the abuſe of the ſignes. For Ariſtotle, Ariſtotle.in his booke foreign, in defining of words, ſaith; that They are notes of thoſe affections, which we hauehave in our mind. Whereby it followeth, that all they abuſe words, which ſignifie things to be otherwiſe, than they thinke in their mind. Further, that reaſon, which they bring of louelove, is verie weake. For we ought to helpe our neighbours; but that muſt be by iuſt and honeſt meanes: otherwiſe we will ſuffer our ſelues to ſteale, to the intent to beſtowe it in giuing of almes. But the ſentence of the apoſtle muſt ſtand faſt, which is; that Euill muſt not be doone, Rom. 3, 8.to the intent that good may come thereof. Neither doo I thinke it to be true, that by thoſe kind of lies, the ſocietie of man is not hurt: ſéeing that, if fidelitie be taken awaie, there remaineth no dealing of one man with an other.
33 But as touching that ſentence of the holie ſcriptures, wherein it is ſaid; Thou ſhalt deſtroie all them that ſpeake lies: we grant with Auguſtine, that that ſentence is not vniuerſallie ſpoken. For, ſo long as the ſtrength of our faith, and ioining togither with Chriſt indureth; ſo long thoſe ſinnes are not imputed: which otherwiſe of their owne nature would be our deſtruction. And this alſo I may eaſilie grant touching officious and ſporting lies: bicauſe they are not ſo much againſt charitie, as pernicious lies be. But this no man can denie, but that in making of a lie, we deale againſt faith. And we muſt wholie grant, that he which lieth, dooth looſe his owne credit thereby: ſo that afterward he cannot profitablie admoniſh, reprooue, or fruitfullie giuegive counſell, as he ought to doo. For they, which heare him, will ſoone thinke that he lieth officiouſlie; to call them againe into the waie, and not that the thing is ſo in verie déed.
Certeinlie, this was the cauſe that Auguſtine was againſt Ierom, who in a maner fathered an officious lie vponupon the holie ſcriptures: If this (ſaith he) ſhould be ſo, the authoritie of the holie ſcriptures would ſoone be impaired; for the readers thereof would ſoone ſaie, that the thing is not ſo, but that it is ſo written for the kéeping of men in their dutie. Neither ought the authoritie of Plato to mooue vsus much; Plato in an error.ſéeing in that place he erred greatlie, granting, that in things perteining to GOD, they might feine fables, which ſhould ſerue to bring foorth and kéepe a good opinion of them. Doubtles we muſt not ieaſt in diuine matters. Further, the lawe of God is equall, and euermore one: and as it will not hauehave the common people to lie; ſo dooth it alſo forbid the ſame to magiſtrates. Howbeit, they cannot iuſtlie be accuſed of a lie, which in their talke be farre from double meaning. For otherwhile it commeth to paſſe, that ſome ſpeake that which is falſe; and yet they thought the ſame to be true. Who are to be excuſed of a lie.Among which men they alſo are to be excuſed, who hauehave giuen a promiſe to doo a thing; which afterward they be not able to performe: bicauſe at the beginning, when they promiſed it, they were fullie minded to doo that, which they had promiſed: and therefore they hauehave not lied. If they afterward doo not accompliſh thoſe things, which they ſpake, the ſame happeneth by ſome other occaſion.
And otherwhile it commeth to paſſe, that he which deliuereth his ſword to a man to kéepe, falleth afterward mad: wherefore he that hath the cuſtodie of the ſword, ought not to redeliuer it vntounto him; bicauſe (as the lawiers ſaie) a new caſe requireth a new helpe. Rom. 15, 24 and 28.After the verie ſame ſort is Paule excuſed, who ſaid, that he would go into Spaine; when as neuertheleſſe he went not thither. 2. Cor. 1, 15.Paule alſo promiſed to the Corinthians, that he would come vntounto them; which he performed not, but yet he lied not: bicauſe, when he ſpake thoſe words, he was minded ſo to doo: but God had otherwiſe appointed it, as Gelaſius hath well written, as we find in the 22. cauſe, queſtion the ſecond, in the chapter Beatus. Vndoubtedlie, the diſpoſition of God breaketh and diſſolueth all bonds: as it is written in the 19. cauſe, queſtion the ſecond, chapter Duae ſunt.
34 But what ſhall we ſaie touching the hyperbolicall ſpéeches, which are in the holie ſcriptures, which at the firſt ſight ſéeme to be lies? I anſwer, that although there in ſignification the ſentence kéepe not a meane in reſpect of quantitie; yet, as touching the maner, it dooth. For thoſe exceſſiue ſpéeches amplifie a matter, bicauſe their nature is not onelie to ſet foorth a thing, but alſo to lead men into an admiration, which by that maner of ſpéech they moſt commodiouſlie atteine vntounto. Neither hauehave lies anie place there, forſomuch as they bréed not in the the minds of the readers and hearers anie falſe or corrupt ſenſe. A meane therefore muſt there be kept; vndoubtedlie, not of the thing, but of the maner. The euangeliſts alſo are not to be holden as liers, when as they, ſetting foorth the acts of Chriſt, doo not all vſe the ſelfe ſame words. For it is ſufficient vntounto the truth, that a thing be ſet foorth as it was: but it is not required to be expreſſed by the ſelfe ſame words. Yea, it is oftentimes doone through the goodneſſe of the holie Ghoſt, that the maner of the narration ſhould differ. For by ſuch meanes, thoſe things, which are not ſufficientlie expreſſed by one, are more plainelie ſhewed by an other.
35 But they vſe to obiect the midwiues of the Hebrues, which although they lied, Exod. 1, 19.yet God rewarded them. Ioſua. 2, 5.The ſame alſo happened to Rahab the harlot, or vitler. Auguſtine anſwereth, Auguſtine.that it was not the lie which the midwiues made, but the faith and feare that they had towards God, and the merciemercy ſhewed vntounto the Iſraelits, that pleaſed the Lord: which the holie hiſtorie by expreſſe words dooth teſtifie. And no otherwiſe muſt we thinke of Rahab. Gregorie.But I neuer like of the opinion of Gregorie, who ſaith; that for the lie which they made, their eternall reward was turned to a temporall reward: bicauſe it is ſaid, that God, for their euerlaſting bleſſedneſſe, builded them houſes. But I iudge, that by reaſon of the true faith, which was effectuall in them, in ſuch ſort, as it brought foorth in them both louelove and the feare of God, (which be lawfull and iuſt fruits of that faith) the lie, which they made through infirmitie, béereaued them not of eternall felicitie.
36 Abraham alſo is obiected, who ſaid, Looke In Gen. 12. at the end, and 19. 8. Gen. 12, 13.that Sara was his ſiſter. Howbeit, therein (as Auguſtine teacheth) he lied not: he told that which was true, but yet he ſpake not all the truth. And that is of no man required, to vtter all that he knoweth to be true. He did not ſaie that ſhe was his wife: yet, bicauſe ſhe was his kinſwoman, he might (according to the maner of the Hebrues) truelie ſaie that ſhe was his ſiſter. Notwithſtanding, he ſéemeth not to be holden altogither excuſed: for although he lied not in calling of hir ſiſter; yet it appéereth that therein he fell, bicauſe, by not reuealing that ſhe was his wife, he put hir in danger of looſing hir chaſtitie; ſith he leſt hir void of that helpe, whereby onelie ſhe might hauehave béene defended from falling into the louelove of ſtrangers. Neither is it néedfull, that I ſhould indeuour to excuſe Abraham altogither: for he was a man, and by too muth feare might eaſilie doo amiſſe. Howbeit, Auguſtine.Auguſtine mentioneth; that Abraham was then in danger two maner of waies: the one, leaſt he ſhould be killed him ſelfe; the other, the adulterie of his wife. The firſt he might ſhun, in calling hir his ſiſter: the other; namelie, leaſt ſhe ſhould be polluted, he was not able to repell. For although he had ſaid that he was hir huſband, that would not hauehave ſerued, to deliuer hir from the ſhamefull luſts of the Aegyptians. Wherefore, that which he himſelfe was not able to ſhun, he committed vntounto God: and in that, which was in his owne power, he would not tempt him. This ſéemeth to be the iudgement of Auguſtine. But what I iudge, I hauehave before declared.
37 But did not the ſame Abraham lie, when he ſaid vntounto his ſeruants; Gen. 22, 5. Looke In Gen. 27, 19.Tarrie here, and we will returne vntounto you: when neuertheleſſe he was minded to ſacrifice his ſonne? Which if he had doone, he might not hauehave returned, hauing his ſonne with him; but ſhould hauehave returned alone without him. Iacob alſo by expreſſe words lied, Gen. 27, 19.when he ſaid vntounto his father; I am Eſau thy ſonne. Paule alſo (as it is written in the Acts) ſaith, that he knew him not to be the chéefe prieſt, which commanded him to be ſtriken; when for all that (as Auguſtine teſtifieth in his ſermon of the Centurions ſonne, and as it is written in the 23. cauſe, queſtion the firſt, chapter Paratus) he knew him well enough. Paule (ſaith he) was brought vp among the Iewes, he had learned the lawe at the féet of Gamaliel: wherefore he verie well knew the chéefe prieſt from other men. 2. Kin. 10. 18Iehu alſo lied manifeſtlie, when he ſaid, Auguſtine. Two kinds of men.that he would worſhip Baal. Auguſtine writeth, that there be two kinds of men mentioned in the holie ſcriptures. For that there were ſome ſo perfect, as although they were not without ſinne, yet we may not raſhlie iudge euill of them; but rather ſéeke how we may defend thoſe things, which in their works hauehave a ſhew of ſinne. They oftentimes were ſo mooued by the holie Ghoſt, that God by their words and acts might make certeine ſecrets knowne. And ſo we muſt beléeue, that oftentimes they both ſpake and did certeine things by propheſie. So Abraham, when he ſaid; We will returne vntounto you, propheſied vnwares, that which ſhuld come to paſſe: for he ſafelie returned from the mountaine with Iſaac.
And Iacob, in ſaieng; I am Eſau, ment to declare nothing elſe, but that he was the man, to whom the degrée, bleſſing, and dignitie was due: which ſéemed to perteine vntounto Eſau, who was the firſt borne. Paule alſo propheſied, what ſhould at the length become of the high prieſt; namelie, that as a painted wall, and a thing altogither feigned and hypocriticall, he ſhould be taken awaie. Further (ſaith Auguſtine) there were other men, not ſo perfect, but were euill; which are ſpoken of in the old teſtament, either to hauehave lied; or elſe to hauehave doone ſome thing, that might ſéeme to be ſinne. But he thinketh, that we ſhould not ſo greatlie indeuor to defend the good name and opinion of thoſe men. Of this ſort of men was Iehu: for although that murther, which he executed vponupon Achab, and his familie, and alſo his wéeding out of Baal, and the worſhippers thereof, pleaſed God: yet neuertheleſſe, he was a wicked king; neither forſooke he the worſhipping of golden calues. Wherefore it ſhall be lawfull to confeſſe, that in lieng he committed ſinne. But in my iudgement (and as I noted before) by this onelie diſtinction we may eaſilie diſſolue this doubt; namelie, Note a diſtinction.that thoſe men were ſtirred vp to lie, either by the ſpirit of man, or by the motion of God. When they did it as men, we will not denie, but that they ſinned: but when they ſpake ſo by the inſpiration of God, we maruell at their ſaiengs and dooings. But we will not take it as an example and preſident to followe.